


Growing Up S.H.I.E.L.D.

by kitlee625, Sarahastro



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Castle, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-04 08:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitlee625/pseuds/kitlee625, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarahastro/pseuds/Sarahastro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. To everyone else, Melinda May and Phil Coulson are legendary S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but to Amy Coulson they're just Mom and Dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Start of Something

**Author's Note:**

> All of the chapter titles come from songs by the band Voxtrot.
> 
> Also, Amy Coulson is not the same person as Skye. Amy is about five years younger than Skye, and Skye will be making an appearance in the later chapters.

It has been six months since May left when she shows up at Coulson’s desk. He stares at her in surprise.

“I’ll be in New York for a few weeks for training,” she says. “I want to see Amy.”

He nods. “She’s in daycare now. I’m going to pick her up at 5:30. Do you want to come with me?”

“All right.” She leaves without another word.

The second they enter the daycare room, Amy jumps up and runs towards her father. May is shocked. When she had left, Amy could walk, but now she moves with much greater speed and assurance. She grabs onto his pant leg, and he bends down and picks her up.

“Amy, your mom is here,” he tells her.

Amy stares at her, then buries her face in her father’s shoulder. He smiles apologetically. “It’s been a long time.”

May tries not to feel disappointed on the cab ride back to his apartment. Amy clings to her father the entire way and refuses to even look at her. When Coulson sets her down so that he can get out his keys, she buries her face in his pants leg.

“She’s very shy,” Coulson says. He detaches her gently so that they can all go inside. “What do you want for dinner?”

May goes into the kitchen and checks out the fridge and cupboards. “This is all you eat? Macaroni and cheese, canned soup, applesauce?”

“Amy likes it,” he says defensively, “and you know that I can’t cook. I give her vitamins.”

May rolls her eyes. “Let’s order something.”

While he orders Chinese food, May sits on the floor in the living room next to Amy. She has her arms wrapped around a stuffed bear, and she looks at her mother warily.

“I like your bear,” May says awkwardly. “What’s his name?”

“That’s Winnie-the-Pooh,” Coulson says, sitting down on the floor on the other side of Amy. He takes Pooh from Amy and makes him wave hello to himself and May. “Hello, Pooh. Did you have a good day today?” He puts Pooh up to his ear and pretends to listen. “You missed Amy? I’m sure she missed you too.” Amy nods, smiling, and holds out her arms. Coulson presses Pooh back into her embrace, and Amy hugs him. “Do you and Pooh want Mom to read to you?” he asks. Amy looks thoughtful, then nods slowly. Coulson gets a worn copy of Winnie-the-Pooh from the bookcase. “It’s her favorite,” he says. “Which one do you want to hear, Amy?”

“Rainy day,” she says.

Coulson helps Melinda find the right story, and they all sit down on the couch to read, Amy in the middle between her parents. Amy listens intently, her face buried in Pooh’s fur. By the time she finishes, the food has arrived, and the rest of the evening is a blur of feeding Amy, getting Amy cleaned up after eating, giving her a bath, reading her a bedtime story, and tucking her into bed. May wonders how Coulson does this by himself every night. Neither of them have eaten more than a few bites of dinner, so once she is asleep they go back into the kitchen and reheat the Chinese food.

“I should go,” she says after they finish eating.

“You don’t have to,” Coulson says. “You could stay here with us while you’re in town.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

He nods. “It’ll be good for Amy to spend time with you.”

He offers to make up the couch for her, but since she knows where everything is kept, she does it herself. It is strange to see him go into the bedroom that used to be theirs alone. Still, sleeping on the couch in his apartment is much better than sleeping in the dorms. In the morning, she helps Coulson get Amy ready for daycare, and after work they both go over and pick her up. In the evenings she cooks dinner while Coulson plays with Amy, and then they get her ready for bed together. After a few days Amy warms to her mother, and they read or play together, but she still obviously prefers her father. It hurts a little, but May also likes watching the two of them together. Coulson is so calm and patient with her, and he likes making silly faces and tickling her to make her laugh.

“You’ve done a great job with Amy,” May says one night as they are cleaning up the kitchen.

“Thanks.” He smiles at her. “She reminds me of you. Quiet, stubborn, smart -”

“She has your smile.”

“And your eyes. Even though things didn’t work out between us, we made a great kid.”

She smiles and moves a little closer. “Things between us weren’t all times. There were some good memories.”

“There were. It was pretty rough by the end though. You were right. It was better for all of us to just go our separate ways.”

She looks a little sad. “It wasn’t easy. I missed Amy so much. I missed you.”

He knows that he should take a step back, but instead he moves closer and says, “I missed you too.”

Neither of them is sure who actually makes the first move, but a moment later they are kissing, then stumbling towards the bedroom leaving a trail of clothes behind them, and finally falling into bed in a tangle of naked limbs. He kisses her neck and is rewarded with a familiar sigh. Their bodies come together smoothly, a well-rehearsed routine that leaves both of them sweaty and gasping with pleasure.

Afterwards he sighs and says, “That was probably a bad idea.”

“Why?” She rolls onto her side and props herself up on one elbow.

“Don’t you think we’re a little old for the on-again/off-again routine? And we have a child now to think about.”

“It doesn’t have to be on-again/off-again.”

He turns and looks at her. “What are you saying?”

“I miss you. I miss Amy. I like being out in the field, but I also don’t want to lose you.” She pauses, then says, “I’ll be here for another week. Maybe while I’m here, we can try being together again.”

“What about Amy?”

“She’s not even two years old. If this doesn’t work out, she won’t remember.”

Some part of him thinks that this is a bad idea, but he cannot say no. Despite everything that has happened, he wants things to work out with them as much as she does. “All right,” he says. “Let’s give it a shot.”


	2. Long Haul

When Barton gets to the quiet, smoky bar he finds May already waiting for him, staring at her watch.

“You’re late,” she says.

“Sorry, I was unavoidably detained.”

She knows not to ask for more details. “I need to leave soon. I’m catching a flight back to New York this evening.”

“Why are you going back to New York?”

“I have leave for a week.”

“So why go back all the way to New York? Hang out here.” She does not answer right away, confirming his suspicions. “I heard a rumor that you and Coulson are playing house now.”

She stares at him. “We’re not ‘playing house.’ We have a daughter together.”

Barton shakes his head. “It’s a bad idea. You’re out in the field what - ten months out of the year? More?”

May stares at him coldly. “I’m her mother.”

Barton cannot help but think about his own parents, who died when he was very young. “You’re a specialist. What if something happens to you?” 

“Do you think I haven’t thought about that?” May asks quietly. “But I can’t have her not even know me.”

Barton takes a drink. “It’ll only make it harder on her if you die.”

May gets up. “Then I’ll be careful. I have a flight to catch.” She walks out of the bar without a backwards glance.

*****

The agent at the front desk raises his eyebrow at the sight of Coulson carrying a sleeping three-year-old girl in her pajamas through S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, but he does not say anything or try to stop him. He has to shift her slightly in the elevator, and she stirs against him, but seems to remain asleep. He sighs. This is not an optimal solution, but he had not known what else to do when he got the call in the middle of the night. This has never happened before, but now that he has been promoted this kind of thing will probably become common.

He still does not have his own office, just a desk in the bullpen, but he does not know what else to do, so he lays her down on the floor in the space underneath the desk with his coat underneath her. She blinks her eyes open sleepily.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” he says. “We’re at my office. Just sleep here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

As it turns out, he has to work through the night. Finally, at 6:30 AM the threat has been neutralized, and he can take a break. He goes back to his desk and wakes Amy up. “Let’s go, Amy,” he says. He picks her up, and she wraps her arms around his neck. They have just enough time to go back to their apartment and change her clothes before day care. He does not have time to shower or even change his suit, so he is a little wrinkled when he comes back to work. He is just finishing his third cup of coffee when Assistant Director Fury calls him into his office.

“I heard that you brought your daughter into the office last night,” he says, “and she was sleeping underneath your desk.” Coulson’s stomach sinks, but he continues, “Next time, you can bring her here. She can sleep on the couch outside my office.”

“Thank you, sir,” he says. “That’s very kind of you.”

Fury nods, then adds, “You and Agent May are very valuable to S.H.I.E.L.D. She’ll be back in New York soon, correct?”

He nods. “She has a week’s leave next month.”

“Well hopefully there won’t be any more crises between now and then.”

*****

When he picks up Amy from daycare, she greets him by waving a flyer in his face. “It’s for Parents Day. My teacher says that all the parents are supposed to come. You and Mom are going to be there, right?”

Coulson shakes his head. “Your mom’s working, sweetie. She won’t be in town.”

Amy’s face falls. “But my teacher said it’s important. Maybe she could come home for a few days?”

Coulson shakes his head sadly. “I’m sorry sweetie.” He does not know how to explain the situation with May. How do you explain to a five-year-old that even though her mom loves her very much, she is never around because she travels all over the world for S.H.I.E.L.D.?

It is hard for him to take the time off as well, but he cannot disappoint her. He ends up taking her to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters at 4 AM on the morning of Parents Day so that he can get some work done while she sleeps on the couch in his office. He wakes her up at 7 AM and helps her get changed into her uniform before they catch a cab to her school.

When they get there he is one of the only fathers there. Most of the children only have one parent there, though in almost all the cases that parent is the mother. He does spot one young father sitting next to a little red-haired girl. If Amy is upset that all of the other children have their moms there, she does not show it. She grabs Coulson’s hand and starts giving him a tour of the classroom.

“And this is my cubby, where I keep my backpack and my lunch and my jacket, and this is my seat. And this is a picture I drew.” Amy leads him towards a wall covered with drawings. She points at one with “Amy” written in the corner. It is a picture of a man and a little girl standing in a house. Off to the side there is a dark-haired woman sitting on top of what looks like a deformed bird, but he assumes it is supposed to be an airplane. “That’s you and me and Mom.”

“It’s beautiful,” he says.

The teacher calls the class to order, and Coulson and Amy take their seats. The room is arranged with several round tables with five students at each. Today being Parents Day there are extra chairs squeezed around the tables. Coulson finds himself sitting between Amy and a little red-haired girl.

“I’m Alexis,” she says.

“This is my dad,” Amy says. She sounds so proud, and Coulson smiles.

“That’s my dad,” Alexis says, pointing at the only other father there by himself.

“Rick Castle,” he says, shaking Coulson’s hand.

“Phil Coulson.”

“Hi Amy,” Castle says, shaking her hand. “Alexis has told me all about you. Where’s your mom?”

Before Coulson can answer, Amy says, “My mom isn’t here. She’s working.”

“She works out of the country,” Coulson explains.

Castle looks curious. “What does your wife do?”

“She works for the government,” Coulson says, “but we’re not married.”

Amy looks horrified. “You’re not?”

Castle looks quizzically from Coulson to Amy. “Are you separated? Divorced?”

Coulson can see that Amy is getting even more upset, so he rubs her back. “We’re together,” he explains, “but we’re not married.”

Amy still looks worried, but she does not say anything else. Before Castle can ask any more questions the teacher starts talking about her classroom philosophy, and Coulson pretends to pay rapt attention. He hopes that by the time Parents’ Day is over Amy will have forgotten about this revelation, but she is still upset when Parents’ Day ends. She clings to him when he tries to hand her over to the babysitter so that he can go back to work.

“I’ll be home for dinner,” he says, carefully detaching her arms from his leg. “We can talk when I get home, okay?”

When he gets home that night, Amy is in a much better mood. “Did you have fun with Abby today?” he asks.

She nods. “Abby and I went to the park with Alexis and Mr. Castle.”

Coulson raises his eyebrows but does not comment. Abby is a very pretty college student, and he wonders how much this play date was motivated by letting the girls spend time together versus Castle’s wanting to hit on the babysitter. “Where’s Alexis’ mom?” he asks.

“She lives in California. She’s an actress. They’re divorced.” She looks sad. “Are you and Mom divorced?”

“No, sweetie. To be divorced, you have to be married first, and we’ve never gotten married.”

“Why not? Don’t you love Mom?”

Actually he has asked May to marry him twice - once when she was pregnant with Amy, and once a few months after they agreed to give their relationship another try - but she turned him down both times. She said she did not see the point in getting married because they hardly even see each other. He does not want to tell Amy this though. Instead he just says, “Mom and I love each other, and we love you. That’s all that matters.”


	3. Soft and Warm

Her parents try to pretend like this visit is the same as all of the others, but right away Amy can tell that something is different. Her mom seems tired, and she moves a little more slowly. Usually she makes fairly elaborate dinners when she is home, but the first night she just makes spaghetti, and instead of avoiding the kitchen like he normally does, her father hovers in the kitchen and grabs the pot of boiling water when it is time to drain the pasta. At dinner her parents are both quiet, and after dinner her mom goes to take a shower while her father cleans up.

When it is time for bed both of her parents sit on either side of her to read her a story and tuck her in. She and her father have been working their way through The Hobbit, and her mother and father take turns reading aloud to her.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” her father says when Amy is about to fall asleep. He kisses her forehead.

Amy gives both of her parents a big hug, but when she hugs her mom, May winces.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

May ignores the question. “Sleep tight, Amy.” She kisses her cheek.

When they leave Amy can hear voices in the living room. She slips out of bed and sneaks to the door. She opens the door a crack. She does not dare open it wide enough to see through, but she can hear everything they say.

She hears her father’s voice ask, “Are you okay?” 

“Fine. Just a little sore.”

“I could sleep on the couch, if you’d be more comfortable by yourself.”

“Don’t. I like sleeping with you.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No. I’ll come to bed in a minute.”

She hears the sound of her father’s bedroom door shut. When she peeks into the living room she sees her mother sitting on the couch alone. As Amy watches her mother rolls up the right leg of her pajamas and pulls off a black knee brace. When she does that Amy sees a raw-looking red scar running across her knee. Before her mother notices her, she quickly closes her door and jumps back into bed.

The next morning while her mother is making pancakes for breakfast, Amy asks, “How long are you going be here, Mom?” Unexpected visits are the worst because they usually only last a few days. During each visit Amy likes to pretend that her mom is going to be around all the time like a regular mom, but it only makes her inevitable departure worse. It is better to know up front how much time they have together.

May and Coulson exchange and look, and then May says, “Almost a month.”

“Really?” Amy practically bounces up and down in her chair in excitement. “Do you have to work a lot, or can we do things together? We can go to the park and the natural history museum and -”

Coulson smiles. “You and your mom are going to have plenty of time to do all those things.”

May sets a plate of pancakes in front of Amy. “Eat up, or you’ll be late for school.”

Amy digs into her pancakes. “These are really good, Mom. Daddy tried to make pancakes once, but his were really hard and burned.”

May gives Coulson and look, and he shrugs apologetically. “While I’m home I can teach you to cook a few things,” she tells Amy.

“I’m not sure Amy is old enough to cook,” Coulson says. “I don’t want her to use the stove.”

“Someone has to,” May tells him. “You can supervise her.”

*****

Alexis is very excited to hear that Amy’s mom is in town. “Can I see her?”

“You’ve met my mom before.”

“Yeah but just for a few minutes when she picked you up from my house. Maybe while she’s here I can come over to your house.”

Normally Amy does not like to share her mom, but she thinks it might be fun. “Okay, I’ll ask.”

When she mentions it to her mom, she says, “Why doesn’t she spend the night this weekend?”

“Daddy says no sleepovers. He’s afraid that he’ll have to go into work in the middle of the night.”

“What does he normally do when that happens?”

“He leaves me here.” May’s eyebrows shoot up, and Amy adds, “He told me to leave the door locked, and not to leave the apartment unless there’s a fire.”

May frowns and makes a mental note to discuss this with Coulson later. “Well I’ll be here, so that won’t be a problem.”

*****

“Do you think they’re ready for bed yet?” May asks Coulson. She is lying curled up against him, one hand idly tracing patterns across his chest.

He listens carefully for the sound of the TV in the other room. “It sounds like their movie is almost over.”

“Good.”

“You know, we don’t have to wait until the girls go to sleep….” he says as he kisses her. 

She pulls away. “What if they walk in on us?”

“Why would they?”

She does not have an answer for that. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. We should just wait.”

Coulson is sure that Rick Castle does not worry about waiting until the girls fall asleep before he has sex with his girlfriend. “It’s not a big deal,” he says. “If she needs anything, she’ll knock first. Besides, Amy knows about sex.”

May gives him a look.

“I had the talk with her.” May raises her eyebrows at him. “Okay,” he admits, “I gave her a book to read.”

“You gave our daughter a book about sex?”

“It’s for children,” he says defensively. “I told her if she had any questions she could ask me.”

May rolls her eyes. “What are you going to do when she gets her period?”

“I don’t know,” he admits, “but that’s still a few years away, right?” She gives him a withering look, so he changes the subject. “It’s nice having you here. It means a lot to Amy. I always feel so guilty telling her that she can’t have a friend sleepover, but I don’t know what else to do. The other parents would be furious if they found out I left their child here alone at night.”

“I’m not too thrilled about that either.”

“I have to. I can’t take her into work with me in the middle of the night anymore. Besides, the apartment is very secure.”

“I know.” She gives him a small smile. “I like being here too. It must be hard doing all this on your own.”

“It’s okay. But we miss you.” He chooses his next words carefully, “You know, it could be like this all the time. If you were to transfer to headquarters -”

May cuts him off with a look. “I’m a specialist. I belong in the field.”

Even though he knows it will make her angry, Coulson cannot help himself. “What about Amy?”

May glares at him. “I love Amy. She knows that. But being a specialist is what I was trained to do.”

From the look on his face, he knows that she does not want to discuss this anymore, so he changes the subject. “It's late. I’ll go tell the girls to go to sleep.”


	4. Raised by Wolves

By the time Coulson gets to the police station, Castle is already there. He is sitting beside his daughter on a couch in the waiting area with his arm around her. Coulson ignores Castle’s glare and turns to his daughter. “Are you okay?” he asks. “What happened?”

“There was a mugger,” Amy says. “Mom and I were walking Alexis back to her apartment. She stopped him, but when the police came they arrested her.”

“All right. I’ll go find someone in charge,” Coulson says.

“I already talked to the police,” Castle interrupts. “They want to question both of the girls.”

“And Melinda?”

“They said she’s not under arrest. They’re just holding her for questioning.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Castle? Mr. Coulson?” Both of the men look up at the young detective who has joined them. “I’m Detective Demming. My partner and I would like to interview the girls now.”

“Together?” Coulson asks.

“We’d prefer to do it separately,” Demming says. “If you want, you can both be present.”

The detectives lead the girls into separate rooms. Coulson and Amy end up in a small breakroom. “Would you like something to drink?” Demming asks. “Water? Soda?”

Amy just shakes her head.

Demming sits down across from her and smiles. “I just want to talk about what happened, okay Amy?”

Amy nods and holds her father’s hand.

“Why don’t we start at the beginning, and you tell me what happened.”

Amy nods again. “Mom and I were walking Alexis home. Then we were going to go to the store to get something for dinner.”

The detective nods. “What time was this?”

“About 6:00.”

“And what side of the street were you walking on?”

“We were walking next to the park,” Amy says. “A man came up to us. He had a gun. He pointed it at us. He told Mom to hand over her jewelry and her phone.”

“And then what?”

Amy looks down, then says hesitantly, “It all happened really fast. One minute Mom was standing next to us, a little behind us, and the next she grabbed his gun away from him.”

“Okay,” the detective says. “What happened next?”

“She punched him a few times, and he hit the ground.” Amy looks shaken, and her father squeezes her hand. “I guess someone called the police, because a police car arrived and took us in for questioning.”

“All right,” the detective says. “So the gun belonged to the other man? Are you sure that your mom didn’t have a gun with her when she left the apartment?”

Amy shook her head. “No, she didn’t have a gun. The gun was his. He threatened us with it. He pointed it at us and said he’d shoot us if she didn’t do what he said.”

“Is that all?” Coulson asks. “I’d like to take my daughter home soon.”

“Just one more thing, Mr. Coulson. What does your wife do for a living?”

“We’re not married,” Coulson says. “Melinda works for the government. She works mostly abroad.” Demming looks like he wants more of an explanation, but Coulson just gives him an impassive stare. “Are we done here?” he asks.

Demming nods. “Yes, I think that’s all for now, but I need to get your contact information. We may need to speak with you again, or have Amy testify.”

“And what about Melinda? When can she leave?”

“We need her to stay here a little longer. We still have questions for her.”

Coulson turns to Amy. “Wait for me outside.” Once she is gone, he says, “I want to speak with her.”

“She’s being held for questioning.”

“Why?”

“We have some questions for her. She broke a man’s jaw. He’s still unconscious.”

“Is she under arrest?”

Demming’s jaw tightens as he says, “Not yet.”

It takes a little convincing, but eventually they take him back to interrogation to speak with May.

“How are you?” he asks.

“Fine,” she says.

Despite her stoic look, he knows her well enough to know that she is upset. Still, he cannot help but say, “You broke his jaw? You couldn’t just disarm him?”

May glares at him. “He pointed a gun at our daughter,” she says. “You would have done the same thing.”

He sighs. They both know she is right. He might have even done worse. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are trained to neutralize threats - the mugger was lucky that May had gone against her training and spared his life. “What did they say?”

“They asked what happened. I told them. They didn’t believe me.”

“They just got through interviewing Amy,” Coulson says. “They didn’t believe her either.”

“You should take Amy home,” May says. “This could take a while.”

He nods. “I’ll contact S.H.I.E.L.D. and let them know what’s going on.” He gives her a reassuring smile. “We’ll get you out as soon as possible.”

When Coulson returns to the waiting room, Amy is sitting with Castle and Alexis. They all look exhausted, but Amy brightens when she sees her father. “How is Mom?” she asks. “Can we go home soon?”

“We can go home immediately,” he says, “but your mother has to stay a little longer. They have a few more questions for her.”

Amy shakes her head. “We can’t leave without her.”

“It’s what your mother wants,” Coulson says. “She’ll be out soon.” Amy looks upset, so he adds, “She’ll be fine, Amy.” He wants to remind Amy that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are used to facing far more dangerous threats than the NYPD, but he cannot with Castle and Alexis sitting in the same room. “Let’s go.”

“Actually,” Castle says, “can I have a word first?” He stands and grabs Coulson by the arm and drags him out into the hallway.

“What the hell happened tonight?” Castle asks. His voice is quiet, but there is no mistaking the menace in his voice.

“I assume that Alexis told you what happened.”

“Yeah, she did. She said that Amy’s mother attacked a man with a gun, a gun he had pointed at my daughter.”

“The girls are fine,” Coulson says.

“They might not have been. What kind of person attacks someone with a gun? She could have gotten both of them killed.”

Coulson tries to think of something that he can say to assuage Castle’s worry without violating S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol. He knows that few people on Earth are better qualified to handle that kind of situation than May, but if the situations were reversed he would be furious with Castle. “Mr. Castle, I understand why you are upset - ”

“Upset? Upset doesn’t begin to cover it. Alexis hasn’t stopped shaking since I got here. She saw Amy’s mother almost beat a man to death.”

“May saved their lives. Both of them are fine.”

“And now the girls are going to have to testify. Because it sounds like the police aren’t buying this story about a mugger. They think that Amy’s mother attacked some guy outside the park and beat him to death for no reason in front of two girls.”

“Mr. Castle, if you trust your daughter, then you know that didn’t happen. They were attacked by a mugger, and May defended them. Now, I am going to take my daughter home.”

A few days later, Coulson comes to Castle’s apartment to pick up Amy.

“Hello, Mr. Castle. Is Amy ready?”

Castle scowls, but steps aside to let him in. “I’ll go get her.”

“Before you do,” Coulson says, “I thought you should know that I spoke to the NYPD. The mugger made a full confession, so the girls will not need to testify.”

“Really? How?”

“I guess someone convinced him to tell the truth,” he says. “I hope we can put this incident behind us. May is very sorry that the girls had to be involved, but the important thing is that everyone is fine.”

Castle thinks about what his daughter said, about how the man’s jaw was broken and he was beaten into unconsciousness. Now that his initial anger has faded, he is more curious than ever about Amy’s parents. How does May know how to do something like that? All Coulson and Amy ever says about Amy’s mother is that she works abroad for the government. Maybe she really is a spy.

“It’s okay,” he says. “I’ll go get Amy.”


	5. Firecracker

Coulson has to work late that night, so he asks Amy to meet him for dinner at a restaurant near S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Amy hates it there. The food is fine, but the place is always full of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and every time they go there at least one person stops by to talk to her father about work.

When she gets there, her father is already sitting with Clint Barton and a red-haired woman. Amy likes Clint; he has always been kind to her and treated her like an uncle. He gets up and hugs her when she arrives.

“Amy, this is Natasha Romanov,” he says. “Tasha, this is Phil’s daughter Amy.”

Natasha Romanov nods and takes a sip of her drink.

“Do you work with my dad too?” Amy asks.

“She just started with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Clint says. He turns to Romanov and says, “You might have heard of Amy’s mom, Melinda May.”

Romanov gives a crooked smile. “I’ve heard of her. I didn’t know she had a kid.” She gives Coulson an approving look.

Amy does not know what they are talking about, but that is typical when having dinner with her parents’ colleagues, so she just take a sip of her water and stares at her menu.

“What do you do, Amy?” Romanov asks.

Amy is confused. “I’m in middle school. But I also take ballet and karate.”

Romanov scoffs. “Why do you take karate? Can’t your parents teach you to fight?”

“Sometimes Mom teaches me when she’s in town,” Amy says, “but I don’t see her very often.”

“Well if you want some more practice, I can teach you.”

Coulson frowns. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Amy looks at him. “Why not?” He and Barton exchange a look, but neither of them say anything.

Romanov drains her glass and sets it down on the table. “Order me another when the waitress comes by,” she tells Barton before getting up and going to the restroom.

As soon as she is out of earshot Coulson says, “Natasha Romanov wants to teach Amy to fight.”

Barton shrugs, “She’s just being friendly.”

“What is she even doing here?”

“Someone has to watch her. Come on, she’s bored at S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought it’d be fun.”

Coulson gives him a warning look. “She has a crush on you.”

That makes Barton laugh. “Natasha Romanov does not have a crush. She doesn’t even say the word crush except as in, ‘I am going to crush your skull.’” He thinks for a moment. “Actually she wouldn’t even say that. Why give them the warning? She would just do it.”

Coulson looks at Amy as if he is just remembering that she is there. “I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation to have in front of Amy.”

Amy tries to look engrossed in the menu, but she does not think her father is fooled.

“Tasha’s fine,” Barton says. “She’s on our side now.”

Coulson glares at him, but before he can say anything the waitress arrives. Barton orders another vodka for Romanov and another beer for himself. Coulson sticks with water, and Amy gets a soda. They place their food orders as well. Shortly after the waitress leaves with their food and drink orders Romanov returns to the table. 

“Did you get me something to eat?” she asks.

“Yeah, a burger. They’re really good here,” Barton says.

Coulson’s phone rings, and he excuses himself from the table. Barton takes the opportunity to lean across the table and whisper, “Amy, help me pull a prank on your dad.”

Amy rolls her eyes and notices Romanov doing the same. “No.”

Barton looks wounded. “Your mom would help me.”

“He’s such a child,” Romanov says to Amy.

Amy smiles at Romanov. She is glad that someone agrees with her.

Romanov looks at Amy curiously. “Are you going to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent like your parents?”

Amy glances at Barton before nodding slowly. She has not admitted this to anyone in years. When she was younger she would tell her father that she wanted to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and he would shake his head and tell her that she should be something normal like a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher when she grew up. She finally stopped mentioning it, but she has never changed her mind.

Romanov just looks like she is not surprised. “I can help you if you want.”

“Will you really teach me to fight?”

“Sure.”

Barton looks wary. “I thought you wanted to be a lawyer.”

“No, my dad wants me to be a lawyer. I want to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

“Do you want to be a field agent or a specialist?” Romanov asks.

“What’s the difference?”

Barton jumps in. “Your dad and Maria Hill are field agents. Your mom, Tasha, and I are specialists. You better stick with being a field agent. Your dad would have a heart attack if you became a specialist.”

“You aren’t going to tell them, are you?” Amy asks.

Barton shakes his head. “You know, he’s going to find out eventually.”


	6. Kid Gloves

May barely says a word on a flight back from Bahrain. Everyone else is giving her a wide berth, but he sits beside her for most of the ride, trying to get some kind of response out of her.

“Amy will be happy that you’re going to be in town for a while. She was mad that I got a babysitter for her while we were gone. She kept insisting that she’s old enough to stay by herself, but I think not for a couple of years. What do you think?”

She did not respond or even look at him.

“Are you okay?” he asks. She does not answer; she does not need to. “Maybe Amy can stay with a friend for a while,” he says. “Just until you’re feeling better.”

May nods slightly, the first response she has given him in hours. “That would be best.”

He nods and tries to smile reassuringly. “I’ll call Mr. Castle,” he says.

When he calls Castle, he tries to keep his voice calm. “Amy’s mother is having health problems,” he says. “We think it would be best if Amy stayed with a friend until she’s feeling better.”

“Sure, no problem,” Castle says.

Then he calls Amy. He tries to make it sound like it is not a big deal, but he can tell that she is worried. “It’s just for a week,” he says, praying that May will be doing better by then. “Mr. Castle said you can come over any time.”

“When are you coming back? Can’t I see you first?”

“It’s better if you go to the Castle’s before we get back.”

Other teenagers might protest, but Amy is a S.H.I.E.L.D. kid. She knows how to follow orders. “Okay. Tell Mom I love her.”

“I will, sweetie. We’ll see you in a week.”

*****

When Castle arrives at the crime scene, he looks more preoccupied than usual. “Something bothering you, Castle?” Beckett asks.

“One of my daughter’s friends is staying with us for a while,” Castle explains.

“Two teenaged girls in the house,” Beckett says. “Sounds rough.”

“It’s not that. Amy is even easier than Alexis. But I’m worried about her. She and her father said that her mother’s having health problems, but whenever I try to talk to her about it, she doesn’t give me a straight answer.”

“That must be hard on her,” Beckett says. “Maybe she’ll talk to you when she feels ready.”

“And then there’s her mother. I’ve only met her a few times even though Amy and Alexis have been friends since kindergarten. She’s been working out of the country, but I’ve never been able to figure out what she actually does. Amy just says that her mother works for the government.”

Beckett looks amused. “Maybe she’s a spy.”

“I know that you’re joking, but the thought has occurred to me,” Castle says. “A few years ago…” He abruptly stops and stares at the man in the dark suit in front of him. “Coulson?”

“Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett, I’m Agent Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.”

“Wow, that’s a mouthful,” Castle says.

Coulson gives him a tight, annoyed smile. “I hear that a lot.” He turns to Beckett. “Detective, we will be taking over this investigation.”

“Under whose authority?”

“Under the authority of the Strategic Homeland Intervention - “

“All right, I got it,” she says, cutting him off.

“The chief of detectives has also signed off on it.” He hands her a piece of paper.

Beckett looks over at Ryan and Esposito, both of whom look about as annoyed as she feels. No detectives like having their cases taken away from them, but it does not look like there is anything they can do about it. The orders are signed and stamped by the chief of detectives, and a dozen lab techs and men in dark suits are already taking over the crime scene.

“All right.” She motions for Ryan and Esposito to join them. “We’ll just get out of your way then.”

“We appreciate your cooperation,” Coulson says before heading over to the techs.

Once he is out of earshot she asks, “You know that guy, Castle?”

“Yeah, that’s Amy’s father, Alexis’ friend, the one I was telling you about.”

“And he works for the Strategic Homeland - “

“Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I’ve never heard of it before. He always just said that he worked for the government.”

“Do you know what he does?”

Castle shakes his head. “I thought he was an accountant.”

*****

“I saw your dad today,” Castle tells Amy when he gets home.

“You did? Where?” Alexis asks.

“At a crime scene. He came by and said that he was taking over under the authority of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.”

Amy nods. “That’s where he and my mom work.”

“What exactly do they do?” Castle asks.

Amy shrugs.

“Have you talked to your parents lately?” he asks. “Alexis and I can finish dinner if you want to call them now.”

“My dad will call if he wants to talk to me.”

Amy has always been a quiet kid, but she is even more withdrawn now. Castle looks at Alexis and can tell that she is also worried about her friend.

*****

Coulson picks up Amy after exactly one week.

“How is Mom?” Amy asks in the cab on the way home.

“She’s fine,” Coulson says, but Amy can tell that her father is upset about something.

Amy expects to find her mother cooking dinner for them, but when they get back the apartment is cold and dark. “Where’s Mom?” 

“She’s not here.”

“She left? Is she okay?”

“She’s still in New York. In fact, she retired from field duty, so she’ll be in the city permanently. But she and I aren’t together anymore.”

“What? You broke up?” The words sound ridiculous to her, but she does not know what else to say. As her father frequently reminds her, her parents never got married.

“She’s subletting an apartment for now until she can get her own place. If you want, you can go over there tomorrow. I have to work late.”

Amy does not know what to say. “Why did you break up?”

Her father ignores the question. “Are you hungry? What do you want for dinner?”

She shakes her head.

“I’ll order some Indian food,” he says, “and you can have some if you get hungry later.”

She watches him carefully. To most people, her father always seems calm and unemotional, but she can tell that he is upset. He seems slightly dazed as he flips through the take-out menus. He looks at them carefully even though both of them memorized them a long time ago. She wants to say something, but she does not know what to say. Instead she goes into her room, shuts the door, and calls Alexis.

“My parents broke up,” she says as soon as Alexis answers.

“Are you okay?” she asks. “Do you want to come over? Or I could come over to your place? Or we could go out and get some ice cream or something?”

“No thanks.” She starts to cry. “Mom is moving back to New York permanently. But she’s not at home. She left my dad.”

“Did he say what happened?”

“No. I asked, but he just asked what I wanted for dinner.”

“It’ll be okay,” Alexis says. “At least you’ll be able to see your mom more now.”

For a few minutes the only sound from Amy’s end is sniffling. Eventually Amy hangs up the phone after Alexis makes her promise to call her tomorrow. Amy gets Winnie-the-Pooh down from the bookcase and lies in bed with her arms wrapped around him until she falls asleep.


	7. Trouble

Amy starts asking her parents to teach her to drive the day she turns fifteen, but for months they refuse.

“You don’t need to learn to drive. We live in New York,” her father says.

“That’s what Mom says.”

“Your mother and I agree on this.” 

Amy wonders why the one thing her parents agree on these days is that she should not do the thing she wants most. Sure, she does not need to drive to get around the city. She just wants to know how to drive, to have the freedom of being able to go wherever she wants whenever she wants. She tries another tactic, “I’m not going to live in New York forever. What if I go to college someplace where I need a car?”

“Driving is dangerous, Amy. If you absolutely need to drive someday, I’ll teach you then.”

Amy thinks that it is ironic that her parents do not want her to learn to drive, but they still have her take karate after school. Her mother stopped teaching her after she retired, but Natasha Romanov still spars with her when she is in town.

They are working together one day when Amy complains about how she still does not know how to drive.

Without hesitation, Romanov says, “I’ll teach you.”

“Really?”

Romanov shrugs. “Why not? Everyone should learn to drive.”

Amy wisely does not say anything else. She lets Romanov believe that her parents’ not teaching her is simply an overcrowded schedule rather than a conscious omission.

So the next time they are supposed to spar, instead Romanov takes her to an abandoned warehouse in New Jersey. “There’s plenty of space,” she says. “And it doesn’t matter if you hit something.”

Romanov has borrowed a black sedan with a manual transmission from S.H.I.E.L.D. for her to practice in. There is a lot to coordinate with the gas, the brake, and the clutch, and it takes a while before she feels comfortable with all three at once. Romanov is a patient teacher and mostly lets Amy grind away at the engine until she gets the hang of it. By the end of the first lesson she is making slow circles in the parking lot. 

“Good job,” Romanov says as she drives them back into the city, “next time we’ll drive in the street.”

Amy looks forward to their driving lessons. By the second lesson Romanov lets her drive down a residential street, and before long she has her weaving in and out of traffic on the New Jersey turnpike. As a city girl Amy is used to riding in cabs, but even compared to New York City cab drivers Romanov is very aggressive. Under her tutelage, Amy zips down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. It is exhilarating until she hears police sirens behind them.

Romanov mutters some Russian curse words. Amy pulls over onto the shoulder and prays that Romanov can get her out of this. Next to her Romanov pulls the registration out of the glove compartment.

“Where’s your permit?”

“I don’t have one,” Amy admits.

“Fuck. Let me handle this,” Romanov says. She smiles flirtatiously at the young officer. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Are you aware that you were going 80 back there?” he asks.

Romanov looks genuinely remorseful. “I’m sorry, officer. I’m just teaching my cousin to drive, and she got a little out of hand.”

The officer is not immune to Romanov’s beauty. He blushes a little but tries to stay professional. “I need to see your license and registration.”

Romanov hands the officer her license and registration. The officer looks at Amy expectantly who says meekly, “I left it at home. I’m sorry officer.”

“That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

The officer visibly weakens under Romanov’s sweet but seductive gaze. Amy thinks that they are going to get away with it, and then an older female officer appears behind the first one.

“What’s going on?” she asks.

“Sir. This woman was just teaching her cousin to drive. I was going to let them off with a warning.”

The older officer stares at the young man incredulously. “They were going 80. Do they have their licenses?”

“The woman does. Her cousin left hers at home -”

“So driving without a license and speeding. We’re going to have to bring them in.”

Amy gives Romanov a desperate look. Her parents are going to be furious if they have to pick her up at the police station. 

Romanov tries one more time. “Officers, is this really necessary?”

It does not work. The older officer simply glares at them. “Yes,” she snaps.

When May gets to the police station, she is furious. “What is going on?”

Amy tries to stay strong. “Tasha offered to teach me how to drive. I told you and Dad that I wanted to learn.”

“And we said no.” She turns to Tasha and glares at her.

Tasha says apologetically, “I didn’t know that. I thought you and Phil just didn’t have time to teach her.”

“You lied to Tasha,” May says to Amy.

Amy scowls. “I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell the truth.”

May looks even angrier. “Get up. We’ll discuss this at home.”

Amy looks desperately at Romanov.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Romanov asks May. The two women step into the hall. “Okay, she shouldn’t have lied. But why did you and Phil tell her that she couldn’t learn how to drive?”

“It’s too dangerous.”

Romanov gives her an incredulous look. “Driving is too dangerous? Don’t you think that’s a bit hypocritical? You used to fly planes into war zones.”

“Not when I was fifteen. And I was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Amy isn’t.”

“She wants to be.”

May scowls and says fiercely, “She is not going to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”


	8. New Love

“Dad had to go out of town so suddenly,” Amy says. “Do you know where he went?”

“No.”

“Did he say when he’d be back?”

“I don’t think he knows exactly.”

Amy sighs. “He’s been going out of town a lot lately. He didn’t used to.”

“He’s been promoted. And it’s easier for him to get away now that I’m not in the field anymore.” May tries to think of a way to change the subject and wonders what kinds of things normal mothers talk about with their teenaged daughters. “Are you still friends with Alexis? I used to pick you up from her apartment a lot.”

Amy shrugs. “I see her at school, but we don’t hang out very much anymore. She has a boyfriend.”

“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”

“No.”

May smiles. “That must make your father happy.” Coulson would probably use S.H.I.E.L.D. resources to do background checks on all of Amy’s boyfriends.

Amy scowls. “Some of the boys in my class are okay, but they’re only interested in girls who like girly stuff, like clothes and makeup.”

“I wasn’t interested in those things either when I was your age,” May says. “I just focused on the things I did like. Romance will happen when it happens.”

“How did you and Dad get together?”

“He never told you?”

Amy shakes her head. “He always says it’s classified.”

May smiles. “Most of it is, but not the parts that you’re interested in.” She pauses as if deciding what to tell her daughter. “We were on an extended mission together. It was just the two of us. We were there for three months in a remote area, and we became very close.”

Amy smiles. “And then you fell in love.”

“And then I saved his life.”

*****

Amy is surprised when Alexis invites her to her father’s latest book party. Alexis sounds a little apologetic when she mentions it. “We haven’t hung out in a while,” Alexis says. “I thought it would be nice to do something, just the two of us.”

Amy resists mentioning that the reason they have not hung out in a long time is because Alexis has been so busy with her boyfriend. “You’re not taking Ashley?”

“He’s busy. He has a lot to do before he leaves for college. I thought it would be fun to have a girls’ night. You could spend the night like you used to when we were younger.”

“I’ll ask my mom.”

Alexis has invited her to a few book parties in the past, but her father never allowed her to go because of the free-flowing champagne and hoards of desperate fans eager to have Castle sign their chests. However, when she asks her mother, she seems unconcerned. All she says is, “Have a good time, and you can call me if you need anything.”

The party is exactly as Alexis had described. Amy tries not to gape at the people in elegant dresses and the trays of champagne and fancy appetizers. They take seats at the bar, which Alexis says is the best place for people watching. Castle is busy making the rounds, greeting his fans and signing autographs. Amy feels a little uncomfortable watching him flirt with the women, but Alexis does not seem bothered. She just rolls her eyes at him.

“These things are always the same,” she says. “Thanks for coming with me. It’s really boring being here by myself.”

“Thanks for inviting me. I’ve never been any place like this before.”

Alexis shrugs. “You get used to it. Do you want something to eat?”

Alexis is an expert at locating the waiters with the best appetizers. As they eat, Alexis points out various writers and celebrities who are attending. “Oh my god, that’s Tony Stark,” Alexis says. “I’ve never seen him at one of these things before.”

“Maybe he’s a fan,” Amy suggests.

“My dad would be thrilled. He thinks he’s so cool. After he announced that he’s Iron Man, my dad could not stop talking about how much he wanted an Iron Man suit.”

A few minutes later, Stark and a tall, blonde woman join them at the bar. Stark raises his eyebrows at them. “Now either I’m getting really old, or you two are too young to be in a place like this.”

Alexis blushes and stammers, “I’m Richard Castle’s daughter, Alexis.”

“Nice to meet you, Alexis. I’ve read your dad’s books. Entertaining stuff.” He nods towards Amy. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Amy Coulson. We go to school together.”

“Is your father Phil Coulson?” the woman asks.

“Yes.”

The woman smiles and says to Stark, “This is Agent Coulson’s daughter.”

“Agent Coulson has a kid?”

Amy and Alexis exchange a confused look. “You know my father?” Amy asks.

Stark rolls his eyes. “Let’s just say that I’ve had a few run-ins with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Tell your father that Pepper Potts said hello,” the woman says as they leave.

After they are gone, Alexis turns to Amy. “I didn’t know your dad knows Tony Stark.”

“I didn’t either.”

“What exactly does he do anyway?”

Amy looks a little sad. “I don’t really know.”

*****

“My father has a girlfriend,” Amy says the next morning as they are eating breakfast.

Alexis puts down her pastry. “Wow. Really?” Amy nods, and Alexis can see that her friend is upset. “What’s wrong?” Amy does not answer, so Alexis tries another approach. “What did he say?”

“She’s a cellist. She used to live in Portland, but she’s in New York now.”

“Do you think it’s serious?”

She shrugs. “He hasn’t asked me to meet her yet.”

“Does your mom know?”

“I haven’t told her. If he wants her to know, then he’ll tell her.”

Alexis gives her a reassuring smile. “If he doesn’t want you to meet her, then it’s probably not that serious.”

Amy is quiet for a moment, then says, “I guess I thought when my mom came back that things would be different. We’d be a real family. But instead they’re even more distant. They hardly even talk.”

Alexis does not know what to say. She remembers how upset she had been when her father married Gina, and again when he and Gina divorced. At this point she does not care about her father’s love life anymore, but Amy has never had to deal with her father’s girlfriends. “You know, we’ll both be in college soon,” she says. “Maybe your dad is upset about that. Maybe he’s feeling lonely.”

Amy frowns. “He doesn’t have to be lonely. Mom is back in New York permanently. I thought that’s what we both wanted.”


	9. Missing Pieces

When the school lets them out of the basement after the Battle of New York, May is already there waiting for her. Amy runs to her and throws her arms around her.

“You’re safe! I was so worried. I heard on the news that S.H.I.E.L.D. was involved in the battle.”

“I’m fine,” May says. “Are you okay?”

Amy nods. “Can we go home? Is your apartment okay?”

“I think so.” They make their way back mostly in silence. May holds Amy’s hand tightly so that they don’t get separated. Amy tries not to be overwhelmed by the destruction and fire and blood everywhere. The news said that the battle is over and they are safe again.

“What happened?” Amy asks.

“We’ll talk about it at home.”

When they get back home, Amy asks, “Have you heard from Dad? He must be worried about us. Do you know where he is?”

May is silent for a moment, and Amy's heart sinks. "Your father was seriously injured shortly before the Battle of New York."

“What? No, he wasn’t in New York. He’s been out of town.” May does not say anything, but from the look on her face, Amy can see that her mother is sure. “Is he okay?”

"He's at a S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital," May says. "I don't know anything else."

"But he's alive, right? Can we see him?"

May shakes her head. "S.H.I.E.L.D. hospitals don't allow family to visit. They'll tell us if anything changes. For now we just have to wait."

The next few months are torture. Every day Amy hopes to hear something, but every day May says she does not know anything more. May is only Level 3 now, so she does not have clearance to read the full reports from the Battle of New York. Eventually she finds out that he was stabbed on the Helicarrier just before the Battle of New York, but she cannot find out anything about his treatment or rehabilitation.

Three weeks after the Battle of New York, Amy graduates from high school. In the days leading up to graduation, Amy keeps expecting her father to suddenly show up. He has been talking about her graduation for months, and he had promised that he would not miss it. But when the day arrives, she and her mother go alone. She tries to focus on Alexis' valedictory speech, but she just stares into the audience, wishing that her father would appear. Afterwards, when the other students and parents ask about her father, she tries to keep her face neutral when she says, "He's out of town for work." Alexis tries to get her to come to the graduation party, but Amy refuses. Instead she spends the evening with her mother. May makes Amy’s favorite frozen macaroni and cheese, even though May hates it, and the sight of it makes Amy want to cry. When she was a child, she and her father used to eat it almost every week. They end up eating in silence, and then Amy falls asleep watching TV.

The summer passes in a blur. Her mother goes to work, leaving Amy alone in the apartment during the day. She just hangs around the apartment in her pajamas. When she gets hungry, she does not have the energy to cook, so she eats mostly cereal and grilled cheese sandwiches. A few times she has to go get some things from her father's apartment. The first time she goes there, she takes a nap on his bed and only wakes up when her mother comes to get her.

Finally at the end of July her orientation packet from Harvard arrives. Her mother brings it into her bedroom and drops it onto the bed next to her. Amy stares at it but does not move to open it.

“I don’t want to go. I could defer for a year,” she says.

May glares at her daughter. “This has gone on long enough. You are going to college in a month. Your dad doesn’t want you to waste this opportunity. He told everyone in the office that you’re going to Harvard.”

Thinking about her father makes Amy’s stomach ache. She cannot imagine leaving New York without seeing him and knowing that he is okay. She lies back against her pillows and closes her eyes.

Her mother leaves her alone for the rest of the day, but the next morning she comes in to wake Amy up at 6 AM. “It’s time for tai chi,” she says. Amy groans and rolls over, but her mother just grabs her arms and pulls her into a sitting position. “Get dressed.” Finally she pulls out her trump card. “What would your father think if he saw you like this?”

Amy’s eyes tear up. “I can’t go to college without him,” she says.

“Yes you can. When things like this happen, it’s hard to get through them, but the only way you do is by moving forward.”

Instead of sleeping until noon, she wakes at 6 AM every morning and practices tai chi with her mother. They go running together three times a week when her mother gets home from work. During the day she prepares for college. She reads the orientation handbook cover to cover and makes lists of the courses she wants to take this year. One weekend her mother rents a car, and they drive to IKEA to get furnishings for her dorm room.

The message from her father arrives about a month after she moves to Cambridge. She reads the email over and over until she has it memorized. He says that he is fine, and he will be back in New York in two weeks. He asks about her classes and how she is liking Cambridge and whether she has had a chance to see much of Boston. It is all so normal that she starts to cry. Once she calms down, she calls her mother.

“He emailed me too,” she says. “He asked how we were doing.”

“He said that he’ll be home in two weeks. Can I come home then?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. What about your classes?” Then her mother surprises her. “Your dad and I will come to Cambridge.”

“Really? Together?”

“Yes. We don’t want you to have to miss school.”

*****

It is the first of several visits to Cambridge that her parents make, though every other time they come separately. Amy is not even sure if her father is still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. now because he seems to have a lot of free time to call and visit. When he comes to Boston he wants to do touristy things. They go to a lot of museums, walk the Freedom Trail, tour Fenway, and take a duck boat tour of the city. He also shows her the neighborhood where he grew up and his old high school. Her mother is more constrained since she has to be at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters five days a week, but she calls every weekend.

Even though it is nice to have so much time with her parents, it feels odd being the center of their lives. When she was growing up, her mother never even called when she was in the field. Her father had explained that it was a security risk. Her father is also very different since his recovery. Before he was more serious, worrying about everything, and focused on his work. Now he is more lighthearted, laid back, and aimless. She wants him to be happy, but even though on the surface he seems happier, she worries about his lack of purpose.

“What do you do all day?” she asks during one of his visits. “Are you retired?”

“I’ve been doing some consulting for S.H.I.E.L.D. Other than that, I’ve been taking it easy. I read a lot. I come visit you.”

“What about the cellist? Are you still seeing her?”

He looks sad. “I haven’t spoken to her since before I was injured. I can’t exactly tell her what happened. It’s better if she doesn’t know.”

Amy had thought about the cellist a few times over the summer, but she had no way of contacting her. She did not even know the woman’s full name. It is strange to think that on the other side of the country, a woman Amy has never met was wondering where he was and if he was okay.

“Are you dating anyone now?”

“No. My life is pretty quiet these days.”

Amy studies her father’s face carefully. He has his normal blandly pleasant expression, but she thinks she detects some sadness and regret in his eyes.


	10. Rise Up in the Dirt

When school ends for the summer, her father drives to Cambridge to pick her up. He had asked how much stuff she was going to be bringing home, and he had seemed pleased when she had told him that she would just have a suitcase and her backpack. When he pulls up, she can see why - he is driving a bright red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette. All of the other students are staring, and she does not know whether to be proud or embarrassed.

Her father smiles at her as he gets out of the car. “Like it?”

“Is that yours?”

He nods.

“How? Where did you get it?”

“Let’s take care of your things first. We can talk about that on the way home.”

They drive in silence for the first part of the trip as her father navigates the heavy Boston traffic. Once they hit the Massachusetts Turnpike, he says, “Lola isn’t just any car. She’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle.”

Something about the excitement in his voice makes Amy stiffen. She looks at him but says nothing.

“I’m back on active duty,” he says. “I’m not going to be stationed out of New York like before. I’m going to be leading a team out in the field.”

Amy turns and stares out the windshield. “When?”

“Not for a few more months. I’m still making the final arrangements. I’ll be in New York until you go back to school, although I’ll be going into the office every day to get things ready.” He pauses, as if waiting for her to say something, but when she does not, he continues, “This is a very big opportunity for me. We’ll be doing some very interesting work.”

“You’ve never been out in the field full time,” Amy says.

“I have been, actually, before you were born. And I’ve been doing more field work the last few years.” He glances over at her. “I’ll be careful.”

Amy blinks back tears and stares out the window silently.

Her parents have arranged for her to go back and forth between their apartments this summer. The first time she goes over to her mother’s apartment, she asks her about her father’s new assignment.

“Dad says he’s going out into the field. Did you know about this?” Amy asks.

“I heard.” Her mother has a strange look on her face. “I got a request to be part of his team.”

Amy feels sick. “You’re retired. You’re in administration now.”

“He wants me to come out of retirement and be the pilot.”

“Just the pilot?” Amy has never been sure exactly what her mother used to do on her assignments, but she has picked up enough hints over the years to know that her mother was more than just a pilot.

May does not answer. Instead she says, “I haven’t decided if I’ll go.”

“But you’re thinking about it,” Amy says.

“Someone has to watch his back.”

Amy’s voice is shaking. “The last time Dad was in the field, he almost died, and the last time you were -” She stops. She has no idea what happened during her mother’s last mission, or even where it had been.

May is silent for a long time, and for a moment Amy thinks that maybe her mother will help her talk her father out of this.

“We’ll keep each other safe,” May finally says.

*****

Her parents have only been back in the field for a few months when she gets the call. Her heart races when she sees the blocked number on her cellphone. She knows that that is how calls appear from S.H.I.E.L.D. numbers.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Coulson. It’s Director Fury.”

“Did something happen? Are my parents okay?”

“They’re fine. I’m calling about you. Assistant Director Hill will be in Boston tomorrow. I’d like you to meet with her.”

“Me? Why?”

“Assistant Director Hill will discuss this further tomorrow.”

Maria Hill meets her on a bench in Boston Commons.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Amy,” she says when Amy walks up.

“What’s going on?”

“Before we discuss that, I need you to promise that what we say will remain between us. You can’t discuss this with anyone, not even your parents.”

Amy is even more concerned, but she nods.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. has been tracking some unusual activity and purchases to a biology lab at Harvard University. We believe that one of people involved is a graduate student named Elizabeth Ransom.”

“She’s the TA for my biology class,” Amy says.

Hill nods. “That’s why we’d like you to make contact with her. Just talk to her about her research and find out what she’s working on.”

“All right,” Amy says.

Hill hands her a cell phone. “This phone will put you in direct contact with my office. It will also allow us to track your movements. You’ll need to update us regularly so that we can monitor your progress.”

“Is she dangerous?”

“We don’t have any reason to think that she is,” Hill says, “but there’s always some danger in undercover work. Are you sure you can handle this assignment?”

Amy nods. “Yes.” She thinks she might feel nervous, but she does not. Instead it feels like her entire life has been working towards this moment. There is only one thing that worries her. "Are you going to tell my parents about this?"

"You're eighteen. They don't need to know."

She feels guilty keeping a secret from her parents, but she reasons that they have kept lots of secrets from her over the years. She knows better than anyone that S.H.I.E.L.D. is all about keeping secrets. "Thank you."

“Thank you.” Hill stands and shakes her hand. “Don’t hesitate to contact us.”


	11. Real Life Version

Coulson is surprised to be interrupted from an evening slogging through paperwork by a phone call being forwarded from his apartment, and even more surprised to see that the call is from Alexis Castle. In order to make sure that Amy can always get in touch with them, all phone calls to his apartment are forwarded to the bus, although he ignores about 90% of them. He considers ignoring this one as well and having Alexis leave a message, but something tells him that Alexis would not call his apartment unless it were important.

“Hello, Alexis,” Coulson says.

“Hi, Mr. Coulson,” Alexis says. “I was wondering if you’ve heard from Amy recently.”

“We talked last weekend,” he says.

Alexis starts talking rapidly, a sure sign that she is upset. “See, we had a fight over the summer. I told her I was moving in with my boyfriend Pi, and she said that wasn’t a good idea, and I said she wasn’t being supportive - and, well, we haven’t spoken since. But a week ago I sent her an email to apologize, and she wrote me back, and we were supposed to talk on the phone, but I haven’t been able to get ahold of her for a couple of days.”

Coulson frowns. He tries to hide his worry when he says, “I’ll let her know that you’re trying to reach her.”

“Okay, thanks Mr. Coulson.”

He hangs up and calls Amy’s cell phone. No answer. He calls her dorm room too, but no one answers. Finally, he goes down to the cockpit to talk to May. When he finishes telling her, he says, “What do you think?”

May also looks worried. “She knows to always answer our calls.”

“We don’t have a new mission yet,” Coulson says. “We can cut our leave short and fly to Massachusetts. The rest of the team can relax while you and I check this out.”

May nods and sets a new heading. “We’ll be there in two hours.”

Coulson tries to distract himself with paperwork during the flight, but he finds himself staring at the same forms for minutes without comprehending a word. Finally, he decides to see if there are any reports of unusual activity in the Boston area that might explain Amy’s disappearance.

When he finds the report, for a moment he feels like he might pass out. He hits the intercom to the cockpit harder than is necessary. “May, we need to brief the team. This is bigger than we thought.”

*****

“A few weeks ago, a suspicious order for lab equipment was tracked to a computer in a biology research lab at Harvard University. S.H.I.E.L.D. believes that this group may have ties to Centipede. Then, a few days ago, they lost contact with a civilian consultant who was assisting in the investigation.” He pauses and looks at May, who gives him a slight nod. “Her name is Amy Coulson -”

“Hold on, Amy Coulson?” Skye interrupts.

“She’s our daughter,” Coulson says.

“Our daughter, like yours and -” Skye turns to May, “- yours? You two have a kid together?”

Coulson continues as if he has not heard her question. “We’re heading to Boston now to look for her. We’ll be there in two hours. FitzSimmons, since she was investigating a lab at Harvard, I want you to look up everything you can find about the lab and the research they’re doing. Ward, Skye, I need you two to go through these S.H.I.E.L.D. documents. We need to figure out where they might have taken her.”

He and May leave the briefing area, but the other four remain, staring at each other. “Did you know about this?” Skye asks Ward.

“No,” he says. “I’d never met Coulson or May before this assignment.”

“How old is she?” Simmons asks.

Ward checks the file. “The file says she’s nineteen.”

“How can Coulson and May have a kid together, and none of us know about it?” Skye asks.

Ward gives her a look. “That’s not important right now. What’s matters is finding her and getting her back.”

After they arrive at the airfield, Coulson gathers the team and starts handing out the field assignments. “FitzSimmons, you two will come with me to Harvard -”

Ward interrupts. “Sir, you and May should stay on the bus for this one. For now, we need to keep a low profile, not let anyone know that people are looking for her. There are plenty of people on campus who would recognize you as her parents,” Ward points out. “The rest of us will be able to investigate without drawing arousing suspicion. We can pretend to be students.”

“Skye might be able to pass for an undergrad, but no one’s going to believe that Simmons and I are anything less than postdocs,” Fitz says.

Coulson looks at the team carefully. “All right. FitzSimmons, you go to the biology department. Talk to the people in Professor Lense’s lab, and try to find out what’s going on there, and how Amy might be involved. Skye, you’ll go undercover at her dorm as one of Amy’s high school friends. Find out if anyone has noticed anything unusual about her behavior or knows what she’s been up to. May and I will monitor your progress from here.”

*****

The grad students and postdocs in Dr. Lense’s lab turn out to be very friendly. It is easy for FitzSimmons to get them chatting about their research. 

“I’m a postdoc with Dr. Nugent at Stanford, do you know him?” Simmons says.

“No, never heard of him,” one of the women says.

“Well I’m going to be finishing up there soon, and I’m hoping to move close to my boyfriend.” She grabs Fitz’s arm. “This is my boyfriend. He works at MIT Lincoln Labs. So I thought I’d visit some labs in the area to see if any of them are looking for postdocs for next year.”

A young man nods. “Dr. Lense will be hiring. She was hoping to give the job to Elizabeth Ransom, but there’s no way she’s going to get it now.”

“Who’s Elizabeth Ransom?” Simmons asks.

“She’s one of the grad students in the lab. She was supposed to graduate this year, but she’s not making any progress on her research.”

“That’s too bad,” Simmons says.

“It’s her own fault,” the first woman says. “I don’t think she’s ever been that excited about the research we’re doing, but at least she used to do it. But for the past few months she hardly even shows up. All of her cell lines have died.”

“What kind of research do you doing here?” Fitz asks.

The grad students immediately launch into a lengthy description of their projects, which are all focused on metabolism and its connection to immunology.

“We’re looking up Elizabeth Ransom now. Wrap it up, FitzSimmons,” Coulson says through the comm.

“I’m sorry, but we really need to be going,” Fitz interrupts. “We’re meeting a friend for lunch.”

“It was so nice to meet you. I’ll be sure to apply when the position becomes available,” Simmons says as they leave.

*****

Because it’s a three-day weekend, there is less traffic in and out of the dorm than usual, but it still only takes a few minutes before someone leaves and Skye is able to sneak inside. She goes down the hall to Amy’s room and tries the door knob. “It’s locked,” she mutters.

“Maybe you can talk to the RA,” May says.

“Is the RA really going to let a stranger into her room?” Coulson asks. “That’s not very safe.”

“This is a university, not a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility,” May says.

“What’s the point in having locks on the doors and require keycard access to get into the buildings if students let anyone inside?”

Skye wishes that the two of them would stop bickering. Normally they only speak when necessary when running backend, but thanks to their nervousness, they have been talking to her nonstop.

“Can I help you?” a young woman asks.

“Yeah, I hope so. I’m Jessica, I’m Amy’s friend from high school. I’m visiting for the weekend, but I can’t find her.”

“Oh, hi. I’m one of her roommates, Rebecca.” She rummages in her backpack for her keys. “I didn’t know Amy was having a friend visit.”

“Oh, sorry, I hope it’s okay.”

“Yeah, no problem. I haven’t seen Amy in a while, but you can wait for her in here.”

Skye is not positive, but she thinks she can hear Coulson make a disapproving sound.

“That’s Amy and Olivia’s room,” Rebecca says. “Olivia’s out of town for the weekend. Taylor and I share the other room.”

“Thanks.”

“Actually, I didn’t know Amy was still on campus. I haven’t seen her in a few days. I thought she might have gone home for the weekend.”

“No, she’s around.” Skye smiles brightly. “I’ll just wait for her in her room.”

“You should try calling her again. She might be down at MIT visiting her new boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Coulson asks. He sounds horrified, and Skye has to stifle a snicker.

“I didn’t know she has a boyfriend,” Skye says.

“Well, I’m not sure that she does. You know how quiet Amy is,” Rebecca says. “It’s so hard to get anything out of her. But she’s been going out more often and coming home at weird hours. Plus she’s gone down to MIT a lot recently.”

“We haven’t really talked in a while,” Skye says. “I’ve been so busy with classes. You know how it is. In fact, I think I’m just going to study in her room for a while.”

“Okay. Well it was nice meeting you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

As soon as the door is closed, Skye says, “You didn’t say she has a boyfriend.”

“She doesn’t. At least, not as far as I know. Did she say anything to you?” he asks May.

“No,” May says.

“Are you sure she would have told you?” Skye asks. “I mean, teenagers don’t always tell their parents everything.”

Skye is afraid that Coulson and May will be insulted, but to her relief, Coulson just sounds thoughtful. “Maybe, but it doesn’t explain why she hasn’t been in touch with us. She would never ignore our calls.”

“Did you find anything?” May asks.

Skye skims the files on her computer. “Nothing but papers and emails from her friends, but I can also log in to her computer remotely on a bus and do a more thorough sweep from there.” She notices a spiral notebook on the desk and opens it. “All I can find is her Chinese homework.”

“She’s not taking Chinese,” Coulson says. “She’s already fluent in Cantonese.”

“Take a picture and send it to me,” May says. There is silence while May studies them. “These are notes about the biology lab.”

“Bring the notebook,” Coulson says. “May can translate it.”

Skye pulls open the drawers in the desk as well. In the bottom one she finds a black cell phone.

“What does Amy’s phone look like?” Skye asks.

“She has an iPhone in a purple case.”

Skye looks around. “I can’t find it, but I found a black cell phone in one of her desk drawers.”

“Bring that too.”

*****

Back on the bus, the team gathers around the table to review their findings. “Elizabeth Ransom,” Simmons says, “is a sixth-year graduate student in physiology at Harvard, working under Prof. Lense. But in the last six months, Ransom has been neglecting her research, not showing up in lab, and falling behind on her duties as a teaching assistant for Introduction to Biology.”

“So Ransom’s the one who ordered the equipment?” Ward asks.

“No one in that lab has any use for that equipment,” Simmons says. “It’s used for culturing stem cells and differentiating them into specific cell types.”

“So what’s Ransom doing with it?” Ward asks.

“Last year Ransom took a class at MIT with Prof. O’Keefe. He does research on cellular regeneration,” Skye says.

Simmons jumps in. “He studies stem cells, specifically using loading them into 3D printers to print whole organs.”

“So he got Ransom involved in Centipede,” Ward says. “But how does your daughter fit into this?”

Coulson picks up the phone. “Skye found this phone in Amy’s dorm room. It’s programmed to call Maria Hill’s office. Amy is currently enrolled in Introduction to Biology. I called Maria, and she confirmed that she asked Amy to talk to Ransom to learn about her research after S.H.I.E.L.D. traced the purchases to Prof. Lense’s lab.” Although his face was calm, his voice was filled with anger.

“But Prof. Lense wasn’t involved. It was Prof. O’Keefe,” Skye says.

“And Amy figured that out.” He gestured towards the notebook. “She’s been making notes on Ransom’s movements for weeks.”

“The last entries are about trying to figure out where exactly Ransom was working at MIT,” May says. “She checked out Prof. O’Keefe’s lab and didn’t see any of the equipment that Ransom ordered.”

“Any idea where this second lab might be?” Ward asks.

“No,” Skye says, “but the GPS in her phone places her on MIT’s campus just before the signal went dead.”

“Actually, I have an idea,” Fitz says. “Amy was convinced that the lab must be on MIT campus, and that it must be easily accessible to the main building based on where she spotted Ransom. But what if it was under the campus. MIT has miles of underground tunnels, and there are several empty labs down there. I did some checking, and this lab here -” He pointed to an illuminated area on a map of the tunnels. “- is supposed to be abandoned, but it’s currently pulling quite a bit of power.”

Coulson nods grimly. “Good work, Fitz. We have to get her immediately, before anyone finds out that people are looking for her. May and I will go in -”

Ward shakes his head. “No sir. No way.”

“She’s our daughter.”

“Exactly. You are way too close to this.” Ward tries to soften his tone. “I’ve been trained to do this, sir. Let me do it. I promise I’ll get her out safely.”

“You’ll need two people,” Coulson says. He looks at May. “Agent May will come with you. She’ll drive the car.”

Ward looks at her. Between her and Coulson, he trusts May more to be able to put her feelings aside for the mission. Plus he feels safer knowing that The Cavalry will have his back. “All right,” he says.

*****

When Ward reaches the tunnels, he is glad that he has Skye to help him navigate. “None of these room numbers are in order,” he complains.

“Those aren’t room numbers, they’re building numbers. All of the buildings are numbered.”

Ward rolls his eyes. “Where am I headed?”

“Follow the signs for Building 68.”

The door to the lab is locked, but Ward blows it open easily. He finds himself in a large room filled with equipment, with a number of identical doors leading off of it. “Which way?”

“I’m not sure,” Skye says.

“You’re in the main lab area,” Simmons said, “the other rooms are probably where they do the experiments and keep the animals.”

“The animals?”

“Yes, a lab like this will need a set of rooms with cages for all of the animals.”

“Sounds like the perfect place to hold a prisoner.”

Ward begins opening the doors at random, hoping for a clue as to where they might be holding her. Just as he opens the third door, a door on the other side of the room opens, revealing a terrified young woman. When she sees him she immediately moves into a defensive posture with her fists held out in front of her. Despite himself, a smile tugs at Ward’s mouth. Even without the strong physical resemblance, there is no mistaking her as May’s daughter.

“I’m with S.H.I.E.L.D.,” he says. “I’m here to get you out.” She still seems nervous, so he adds, “Your father sent me. And your mother is outside in the van.” She relaxes a little. “Are you hurt?”

She shakes her head. Her whole body is shaking a little, but he does not see any obvious injuries.

“Do exactly what I say,” he says, “and I’ll get you out of here. Understood?”

She nods again.

“Is there anyone else here?”

Amy points back to the door she had come through. “Elizabeth is in there. I knocked her out.”

Ward raises his eyebrow and peers inside. Elizabeth Ransom is lying on the floor. Ward nudges her with his foot, and she moans. “Get up before I shoot you.” He points the Night-Night Gun at her, and she glares at him but obeys. “Anyone else?”

Amy shakes her head.

It is late enough that the three of them make it back to the van without running into anyone. As soon as they climb inside, Ward shoots Ransom with the Night-Night Gun. Amy looks startled, and Ward assures her, “She’s not dead, just stunned.”

“Are you okay?” May asks.

Ward turns and starts checking her out. “She doesn’t look hurt,” Ward says. “Simmons can check her out when we get on the bus.”

“I knew you’d come for me, Mom,” Amy says.

“It’s okay, Amy,” she says. Ward has never heard May sound so gentle. “You’re safe now.”

*****

Coulson is waiting for them in the hanger. He does not even wait for the engine to stop before he runs over to the van and throws the passenger door open. He grabs his daughter’s arm and pulls her out.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

She shakes her head. “I’m okay.” Her whole body is shaking, and she buries her face in his jacket. He wraps his arms around her and strokes her hair. May comes up beside them, and she and Coulson exchange a look.

“We have to get out of here,” he says, and she nods and runs towards the cockpit. “Simmons will check you out now,” he tells Amy.

“I’m fine, Dad,” she says. “They didn’t do anything to me. Elizabeth and Prof. O’Keefe just asked me a lot of questions and threatened me. But I didn’t tell them anything.”

“Then let’s go upstairs. You can lie down for a while.”

Simmons and Fitz are standing at the entrance to the lab, watching everyone. “Sir, is there anything we can do -”

Coulson does not even seem to have heard them. He just leads his daughter up the spiral staircase. Instead Ward says, “Buckle up. We’ll be heading out immediately.”

*****

Skye knocks lightly on the door to Coulson’s office. Coulson is sitting in a chair watching Amy who is asleep in his bed. “May says we’ll be at the Fridge in ten hours. Ward’s been in touch with HQ, and they’re waiting for us there to interrogate Ransom,” she says.

Coulson blinks. He looks a little confused. “Thanks.”

“Is she okay?”

“I think so.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Skye says.

Coulson does not even look at Skye. “Of course it is. None of this would have happened if her parents weren’t S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.”

Skye does not know what to say to that. “Do you want to get some sleep? I could watch her for a while.”

“No.” He finally looks up and gives her a small smile. “I’m fine, Skye.”

He looks the complete opposite of fine, but Skye just says, “Okay. Well let us know if you need anything.”

An hour later, May comes upstairs. Coulson is still sitting beside their daughter watching her sleep. “Get some sleep,” she says. “You can use my bunk. I’ll watch her.” He shakes his head, but she refuses to budge. “You look like crap.”

He looks at her and smiles a little. “All right, but wake me if she wakes up.”

When he goes downstairs, the rest of the team are gathered on the couch. He knows that they have questions, but he ignores them and goes into the cockpit to sleep. He is more tired than he realized - he falls asleep without even taking off his jacket.


	12. The Future, Pt. 1

When Amy wakes up, her mother is slumped over in a chair with her eyes half closed, but she jerks awake when she realizes that Amy is up.

“How are you?” May asks.

“Okay. A little hungry.”

“You can get some food in the galley. I’ll show you where it is. We can also get your father. He wanted us to wake him when you woke up.”

Amy thinks about how her father used to fuss over her when she was sick and smiles. “We should let him sleep.”

Downstairs her mother shows her the food, but before Amy can eat anything, an alarm goes off.

“I have to get to the cockpit,” May says.

Amy nods. “Okay.”

She has just finished making a sandwich when Skye pops in. “Hey, I’m Skye. So you’re Amy.”

“Hi.”

“You’re Coulson and May’s kid. I didn’t know they had a kid. I didn’t even know they were involved.”

“They’re not. They were when I was younger, but they broke up a few years ago.”

“Oh. So what was it like growing up with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents for parents? I bet you have some weird stories, right?”

Amy thinks for a moment. “Natasha Romanov taught me to fight.”

Ward is walking past the galley, but he stops when he hears her. “Black Widow taught you to fight?”

“Yeah. She also taught me to drive, but I got pulled over for speeding.”

Ward and Skye laugh. “Oh my god, what else?” Skye asks.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I always knew they were different from the other parents, but to me they were just Mom and Dad. My mom was away a lot, and I knew her job was dangerous, but when she was home she would walk me to school and make dinner every night.”

“May can cook?” Skye asks.

Amy nods. “She’s a really good cook. She taught me when I was eight because my dad is a terrible cook. She was afraid we would starve when she was away.”

“Did you ever meet any of the Avengers?”

“I’ve known Clint and Tasha for a long time. And I met Tony Stark once at a book party. Her father is a writer, Richard Castle. She took me to one of his book parties, and Mr. Stark was there. But my father never mentioned him to me. My parents always tried to keep that S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff a secret from me.”

*****

When Coulson wakes up for a moment he is confused as to why he is in May’s bunk rather than his own bed before remembering that Amy is sleeping there. He checks his watch and is surprised by how late it has gotten. He wonders if Amy is up yet, and if May spent the whole night sleeping in his desk chair.

His first stop is the galley where he finds Amy talking to Skye and Ward. She is telling the story of Romanoff getting her pulled over for speeding. The memory still makes Coulson flinch thinking about his little girl weaving in and out of traffic under Romanoff’s direction. Skye and Ward are laughing as she describes Romanoff’s attempt to flirt her way out of a speeding ticket. On the surface it seems nice and normal, but it is a collision of two worlds that were never supposed to meet. He and May had agreed from the beginning to keep her away from this part of their lives.

May walks up behind him. “We should talk to her,” she says.

He nods and steps into the galley. Skye, Ward, and Amy turn to look at him.

“Dad, how are you feeling?” Amy asks.

“What’s up A.C.?” Skye asks.

“Amy, your mom and I need to talk to you in my office.”

Upstairs, Coulson takes a seat behind his desk with May hovering beside him. That leaves one of the chairs on the other side for Amy. She feels like she is facing down the high school principal.

“What happened?” Coulson asks.

“I’m sorry that you guys had to come in and rescue me,” Amy says. “I had spent days trying to find where Elizabeth was doing her experiments, and when I saw her going to MIT that night, I thought I could follow her without her seeing me.”

“That’s not the point. Why were you even involved in a S.H.I.E.L.D. investigation in the first place?”

“Directory Fury and Assistant Director Hill asked me.” Her parents exchange a look, so she adds, “Assistant Director Hill just asked me to find out about Elizabeth’s research. But when I figured out that she was working with Prof. O’Keefe, I decided to follow her on my own. I thought I could handle it.”

Coulson knows that he will have additional conversations with both Fury and Hill about going around him and May to recruit their daughter, but for now he focuses on Amy. “They shouldn’t have asked you in the first place. And when they did, you didn’t have to agree. Your mother or I would have handled it.”

“I wanted to be involved. I want to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” May says. “What you’re agreeing to, and what you’re giving up.”

“Yes I do. I want to be a hero like you guys. Do something important with my life.”

“There’s a lot more to S.H.I.E.L.D. than that. It’s about secrets and sacrifice. You give up your chance at having a normal life, or having a family,” Coulson says.

“You had me.”

May sighs. “That was very difficult. It wasn’t really fair to you. We weren’t able to be normal parents for you.”

Amy knows that that is all true, but she says in a small voice, “I love being your daughter.”

Coulson says quickly, “We love being your parents Amy, but it was too much stress on you when you were growing up: not knowing where your mother was or when you would be able to see her, my injury on the helicarrier.”

Amy shakes her head. “I don’t care. It’s worth it to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

“We can talk about that later. You’ll need to finish college first,” Coulson says. He and May exchange a concerned look.

Amy can tell that he is not taking her seriously. Before she can argue further, Ward’s voice interrupts them through the comm system.

“Coulson. Sorry to interrupt, but Director Fury is on the line. He’s asking to speak with you, May, and Amy.”

Coulson looks surprised but pressed the button to put the call through. “Director Fury.”

“Agent Coulson. Agent May. I understand you extracted Miss Coulson from a lab on the MIT campus and took Elizabeth Ransom into custody.”

“Yes. We were just discussing how she came to be investigating that lab,” Coulson says.

“It was under my orders,” Fury says simply.

Before Coulson can respond, May says, “She’s not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She doesn’t fall under your orders.”

“We went to her as a civilian consultant,” Fury says. “But now we would like to recruit her to become an agent.”

“She’s just a child,” May argues. “She’s too young to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

“She’s your child,” Fury says, “and she has the makings of a great agent.”

“Just because she’s our child -” Coulson says, but Fury cuts him off.

“Look at what she’s already done,” Fury says. “She uncovered a lab with ties to Centipede and escaped after being captured with no training. I don’t know about you, but I want to see what she can do after she gets through the academy.” Fury tries a different tact. “Centipede knows her name and face now. She’s a target. And the truth is, she’s always going to be a target because she’s your child. We need to teach her to defend herself.”

*****

Amy spends the last few days before she enters the Academy back in New York at her father’s apartment. She and her parents have moved all of her things out of the Harvard dorms, and she sorts through them deciding what to take with her and what to leave behind.

“You don’t need to bring a lot of clothing,” Coulson says. “They have uniforms.”

In the end, she only has two bags. Everything else goes back in its place in her bedroom in her father’s apartment - her books and pictures, her ragged Winnie-the-Pooh. Even more than when she went to Harvard, she feels like she is leaving her childhood behind.

On her last full day in New York, she meets Alexis for coffee. They have talked since her kidnapping, but this is the first time they have seen each other face-to-face.

“How are you?” Alexis asks. “I was so worried about you.”

“I’m okay.” In the end, she had decided to tell Alexis that she had been sick with the flu. Her parents had recommended saying nothing, but Amy did not want Alexis to think that she had been ignoring her calls. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to call you back. I really wanted to talk to you. I’m sorry we fought about Pi.”

Alexis shrugs, then says, “I know. And you were right, it was an impulsive decision.”

“But it was your decision. I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you.” She knows how lucky she is to have a friend like Alexis. Despite their differences, they have managed to stay close for more than thirteen years. If Alexis had not alerted her father, she might still be captive by Centipede, or worse, dead. However she needs to make sure that Alexis does not come looking for her like that again.

“So you’re dropping out of Harvard,” Alexis says. “What are you going to do now?”

“I’m not sure. I’m going to travel for a while. It might be hard for us to stay in touch. And my parents are both working out of the country now, so I don’t know when I’ll be back in New York. But before I go I wanted to say how glad I am that we’re friends.”

“Of course. Me too. We’ll always be friends Amy.” Alexis hugs her. “Have a good time on your trip, and call me the next time you’re in town. We can get dinner or coffee or something.”

“I’d like that.”

*****

Coulson and May drop her off at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy dorms. Amy could almost laugh at how strange the situation is. A year ago, when her mother dropped her off at Harvard, all she had wanted was for her father to be there too. Now the three of them are together again, and Amy is moving into the S.H.I.E.LD. dorms.

“Do you need anything else?” Coulson asks. 

She looks around the room. It could be any dorm room across the country. Plain wooden dresser and desk, and narrow wooden in one corner. She shakes her head.

“If you do need anything, you can always contact us. If there’s an emergency, you can call S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and they’ll reach us.”

“Are you okay?” May asks.

Amy looks at them. “I feel like everyone’s whispering about me.”

May sighs. “They probably are,” she says honestly, “S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are always gossiping about something.”

Agent Hill had told her that she would be the youngest operations cadet in decades. She is not sure that she has earned that kind of notoriety. “I wish they wouldn’t.”

“They’re just doing that because you’re special,” Coulson says. “They know that you’re going to do great.”


End file.
